The present invention relates to a separating arrangement for the treatment of fluids, namely separating admixtures.
Double-cone devices are described in the WO-A-87/01770 whose content is incorporated in this description by reference. The double-cone device, amongst other things, allows one to upgrade the available pumping pressure of a modest conventional pump. When incorporated in a compressor loop, such as proposed in the aforementioned patent, numerous novel possibilities become evident.
The double-cone device essentially is comprised of two cones which are connected by their ends of small diameter.
At the interface, i.e. interspersed between the entry cone and exit cone, an orifice is provided. In the region of the orifice, the double-cone device, if penetrated by a fluid, builds up a surprisingly low pressure which allows another fluid to be drawn into the device with high efficiency. When included in a closed loop with a pump, the pressure in this loop can be increased in that the double-cone unit sucks in fluid until an equilibrium is attained. The term fluid refers to both liquids and gases.
The double-cone device is characterized by the angles θ1 and θ2 of the conicity of the entry cone with respect to the exit cone:F=(1+sin θ1)2*sin2θ2
The quality function F should always be less than 0.11. The ranges are detailed hereinafter:
FQuality<0.0035:best0.0035–0.0155very good0.0155–0.0250good0.0250–0.0500satisfying0.0500–0.1100still sufficient>0.1100 poor
One application where fluids must be pressurized, are reverse osmosis plants where admixtures are separated from a fluid, e.g. salt from water. However, other separation devices than reverse osmosis units, like cyclones, require a pressurized fluid as the working medium, too.
Generally, these separation units or devices need a certain throughput of the working medium to work properly over long periods. For instance, reverse osmosis units have to be “flushed” by the working medium.
The known separation arrangements, particularly those comprising reverse osmosis units, secure the required fluid throughput by additional measures like overdimensioned pumps, leading to a reduced overall performance.